Leading lights from across the globe to address first-ever SA REIT Conference

The first-ever SA REIT Conference is set to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 22 October 2014 and is hosted by the SA REIT Association

The South African Real Estate Investment Trust Association (SA REIT) will host the first-ever SA REIT Conference in Sandton next month, offering direct access to an unprecedented panel of the brightest international minds and key local players active in the REIT sector.

This power packed one-day senior management conference, sponsored by Nedbank Corporate Property Finance, will dish up the latest intelligence from around the world on doing REITs right, and extraordinary insight into the biggest issues and opportunities for the listed property sector in South Africa.

The landmark SA REIT Conference takes place on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at the Sandton Convention Centre. It will boast a first-rate programme, offering excellent insight and debate on the burgeoning sector.

International speakers include global industry leaders who will highlight a diversity of sector focuses – from attracting a flow of funds and the best practices for investment, to decoding what makes listed property unique from other investments.

London-based Kari Pitkin, Managing Director and head of EMEA Real Estate, Gaming and Lodging for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, will delve into the realm of funding, specifically debt funding, and also zone in on the latest trends.

Renowned for being a straight talker, Andrew Parsons, MD of Resolution Capital in Australia, will examine principles of corporate governance and investment best practice with a special focus on the property industry, providing delegates with key lessons from a global perspective.

From Belgium, Fraser Hughes, Deputy CEO of the European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA) will shed light on attracting retail investors to listed property and will unlock research on the benefits of listed versus direct property. EPRA represents Europe’s publicly listed property companies.

Chairman of the SA REIT Association, Laurence Rapp, comments: “With South Africa’s listed property sector entering a new era of REITs in 2013 and adopting a best-of-breed internationally-recognised structure, we have truly stepped onto a global stage and opened up to a more diverse pool of investors. This also means being held to the highest international standards. To this end, we have put together a conference which features a comprehensive programme of local and global listed property REITs thought leaders and opinion makers who will share their exceptional knowledge, experience and insights.”

He adds the event is designed to equip delegates with a broad understanding of the latest influences and innovations around REITs in South Africa and across the world, as well as sound approaches to opportunities and challenges in the market place. “It is also a meeting place for the sharpest minds in the industry.”

Mfundo Nkuhlu, Managing Executive of Nedbank Corporate, sponsors of this inaugural conference, says: “The relative stability of the listed property sector is what has been its main appeal to investors. Adding to this stability and attractiveness was the introduction of the REIT structure which is aimed to enable the SA listed property to become even more internationally appealing and competitive, thus facilitating even further growth.

As leaders in commercial property finance, we are proud to be associated with this inaugural conference and its objectives as we continue to show our commitment to the property market from a holistic perspective.”

While this is the maiden conference of the SA REIT Association, South Africa has a well-developed listed property sector with a solid track record of performance for its investors.

Today, there are 30 SA REITs listed on the JSE. The SA REIT Association represents South Africa’s listed REIT sector. SA REIT members comprise all listed SA REITs and represent around R250 billion worth of real estate assets. The quality of these SA REITs influences our economy and the quality of people’s lives.

For more information on the SA REIT Conference on 22 October 2014 at the Sandton Convention Centre visit www.sareit.com and follow @SA_REIT on twitter.